


Together

by Maeryn_skye



Category: 30 Seconds to Mars
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-05
Updated: 2015-01-05
Packaged: 2018-03-05 15:11:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3124820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maeryn_skye/pseuds/Maeryn_skye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jared is frustrated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Together

**Author's Note:**

> The original thought for this came to me while I was going through a list of Jared's movies and realized just how many he is hurt/killed/maimed in and how very few (if any) actually play up his looks. I began to wonder if he might see his beauty as more of a hindrance than a help, especially in his musical career. This is just a sort of continuation of that thought. (Originally written 9/2006)

Shannon woke slowly, only gradually becoming aware of his surroundings. He lay still for a moment and tried to figure out what had awakened him. Everything seemed perfectly normal. They were on the road now - Shannon could hear the faint whine of the engine and the thump-thump of the tires on the highway. As he pulled the curtain back from his bunk and looked around the quiet bus, a vague uneasiness tickled at the back of his mind. His eyes fell Jared's bunk and Shannon realized what woke him. Apparently his brother hadn't been able to sleep and had gotten up to go sit in the lounge. Shannon rose and padded softly after him, a slight frown on his face. He knew that something had been bothering Jared earlier when they were doing their meet and greet after the concert, but his quiet inquiry was brushed off with a quick, "I'm fine, bro. Just tired." A questioning glance and matching shrugs revealed that Matt and Tomo were just as clueless as he was about what was troubling their singer. Determined to get an answer this time, Shannon slipped down beside his little brother on the couch and draped an arm over his shoulders.

Before Shannon even had time to say anything, Jared turned to him and asked, "Am I beautiful, Shan? I mean do you think I'm beautiful?"

Shannon stared at him in stunned silence for several seconds before answering. "God, Jared, do you even have to ask? Of course I think you're beautiful!"

Jared sighed, obviously not happy with the answer Shannon had given him. "But why? What makes me more beautiful than you? Or Matty? Or Tomo? Or the redhead in the front row tonight? Or the taxi driver that drove by earlier? It's all bullshit, Shan. Every bit of it's just bullshit."

Shannon shook his head in confusion. "Okay, baby brother, it's 3:30 in the morning, I just woke up and I don't have a fucking clue what you're talking about. Why don't you just start all over again - preferably at the beginning this time - and tell me what's got you so upset."

Jared's shoulders sagged and his head drooped. Shannon pulled his little brother against him and laid Jared's head on his shoulder. In a soft voice he asked, "What happened tonight, J?"

"I just ... sometimes I wonder why we do this, you know? On the road for months at a time, living in a tin can ... and for what? So a bunch of vapid little girls can grab my cock and tell me how _beautiful_ I am?" He spit the word out like poison, obviously disgusted.

Shannon stared down at his brother as he gently stroked his hair. Of the four of them, Jared was always the one the most eager to get out and mingle with the fans, He always said that it made him feel real again, like a person rather than a rock star. "I take it you had another one tonight, huh?"

"Yeah," Jared sighed and snuggled closer against his brother. "Didn't even try to be gentle about it or anything. Just fucking grabbed and squeezed. My cock's still sore. But what really pisses me off is that that was all she looked at for the rest of the show. She probably couldn't name one of the songs we did tonight. And then after her, I had probably four or five little girls come up to me after the show was over gushing and going on and on ..." He pitched his voice higher to mimic the giddy, breathless fans. " 'oh god, Jared, You're so beautiful ... I love you, Jared...'. They don't get it, Shan. They just don't fucking get it. The music doesn't mean fuck all to them ... all they want is a piece of me. They don't even know what real beauty is ... the way Matt's face lights up when he smiles, that goofy smirk you get when you think you've put something over on me, the way Tomo looks when he's lost in his music ... that's what's really beautiful, but they don't want to take the time to look any further than my 'gorgeous eyes' and 'perfect cheekbones'. "

Shannon knew Jared did have a point. No matter how good their music was, there would always be a small part of their fan base that couldn't care less, as long as Jared was the one out front. But 95% of their fans were fans of the band and the music they made together. He gently reminded Jared of this. "Those are the ones we do it for, bro. The ones who do get it, who do care about more than just your cock or your pretty face. But even more than that, J, we do it for us. This is who we are. It's who you are. Even if no one ever understands, it doesn't matter because the music is for us ... for you ... me ... Matty ... Tomo ..." He smiled gently as he kissed his brother's head. "Cheer up, little bro! Even if no one else in the world gets your music, we still have a great time playing it together and that's all that really matters ... just being able to do something we all love and to be able to do it together."

Jared thought about what his brother said. "Yeah ... 'together'. You're right, Shan. Thanks for listening." He pulled himself up off the couch, then held his hand out to his big brother. "Together," he said softly.

Taking Jared's hand as he stood, Shannon smiled and whispered back, "Always."


End file.
